Genesis 12:1-20
Notes
Transcript
Genesis 12:1-20
Genesis 12:1-20
First of all, Thank you so much Jeff Johnson, and Andy Kowalchuk for teaching the past 2 weeks. Jeff’s message on Palm Sunday, and Andy’s for Easter were inspiring. We truly have some excellent teachers as a part of our body.
If you remember, a few weeks ago, I gave my longest sermon to date…For an encore, we are now in this new place and I hope you brought lunch. I’m just kidding. Let me give you a refresher.
We were in Genesis 10-11 last time. We learned Genesis 10 is considered the “Table of Nations” because it lays out who the major players in the Bible would be, and where they would all be from. We learned that Japheth was Noah’s oldest son, and he was the father of the Gentiles, that lived from India to Europe to the north pole…Not exactly, but almost...
Shem was Noah’s middle son, and this is where the line of Abraham would come from. They lived in the Arabian peninsula. These people would be called the “Shem-ites” where we get the term today, Semites. The Jews would come from Shem’s descendants.
Ham’s family, including Canaan, kind of surrounded Shem, and lived in the promised land, then in the Sinai peninsula and into Egypt and Somalia, into Africa. We also established that God not just a God of Israel. He is the God of ALL PEOPLE. Whether they like it or not. Allah is not God. Our idols are not Gods. We need to do what Paul did in Acts 17, and remind people, “You may not know my God, but He has a name, and His name is Jesus.”
These people all lived with their families, according to their languages, in their lands. That means they did what God told them to do in Genesis 8 and 9, right? No, they first decided to inhabit one location, the Shinar valley in modern day Iraq where they built a tower. But it wasn’t any ordinary tower, was it?
It was a tower that was made special, because the people were afraid. Why were they afraid? Because they had disobeyed the Lord’s command, and they were all living together and not spreading out and decided to make a city and a tower to celebrate themselves. This tower used asphalt or pitch for mortar, which would make it waterproof, wouldn’t it?
They thought God would break his promise, just like we break ours. The Lord showed He is so much more faithful than we are. He had the right to bring the tower down on them and teach them a big lesson, but He didn’t. he tweaked their language, helped them with their decision to separate as families into their lands, BUT, he left them a reminder of their sin that lasted for a long time.
The evidence was seen by a Greek Historian named Herodotus that lived in 400BC, well after the captivity of Israel, and after the fall of Babylon in 539BC. He claims to have seen it and wrote about it. He said: “It has a solid central tower, one furlong square, with a second erected on top of it and then a third, and so on up to eight. All eight towers can be climbed by a spiral way running around the outside, and about halfway up there are seats for those who make the journey to rest on.”
If you think about the Pyramids of Egypt, what Herodotus saw was roughly the same size as them. Most of those took 20-40 years to construct. So, the Lord allowed this construction to go on for a long time. Most of the life of a lot of us in this room. It doesn’t say that there were complaints about making the tower.
It’s amazing how long the Lord will allow us to dabble in our sin before he does something serious about it. He wants us to repent and change…but there are limits to His Grace. When he brings the hammer down, he makes a lasting example and it’s not just for us, it’s for everyone to see! Don’t give the Lord that chance. You know what you’re doing is wrong, and if you can’t stop it, you will be made an example.
Like Habakkuk, I struggle when people seem to get away with their sin. I know though, that God keeps His house in order and He is a God of Justice, and of a promise. Up until now, the first 11 chapters and over 2000 years, Genesis is about God’s creation, and the history of man. The rest of the Bible is about God’s relationship with a man named Abram, who’s name means Father, and his descendants, the Jewish people. God’s chosen people. Hebrews 11 talks about the type of man Abram was.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Abraham was a faithful man, and he OBEYED when he was called out. Let’s pray and get into the first chapter we read about in Abram’s faithful journey.
PRAY
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Before we get started here, let’s turn back just a few verses into Chapter 11
31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. 32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.
So, Terah is Abram’s father. Abram had a 2 brothers, Nahor and Haran. Haran died before Terah, which meant now his son Lot would need a father figure. So, Abram stepped in and was that man. This relationship will be important here in the coming chapters.
In Chapter 12:1 is pretty clear, isn’t it? Genesis 12:1 “1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.” Get out of your country, away from your family…but take your dad, your nephew, your brother Nahor? Nope.
Let’s talk about where Abram is from. Ur of the Chaldeans was a very rich, cultural hub. They were pagan worshippers. According to Jewish tradition, Terah was actually an idol maker. Abram got angry with his dad and smashed all of his idols in a feud. The rest of the story is very strange to me, so I stopped there and knew I’d have to do more research on that…but to be honest, it didn’t interest me.
So, who was this Lord that talked to Abram and he listened to him? Obviously it was different this time. Imagine talking to wood idols all your life, KNOWING the maker of them…and then the Lord reveals Himself to you. That would have had to been an awe inspiring moment. But the Lord said to go, and He would lead him
Did Abram get where God was sending him? Did Abram even know where he was being sent? He didn’t, God just said “I will show you.” Have faith. The name Abram means father, and what do we know about Sarai? She can’t have children, so I’m sure, when the Lord talked to him, he wasn’t sure how to respond. BTW, the word Sarai means princess.
For what reason, other than a true act of God, did Abram have to follow the Lord’s command if it wasn’t clear to him? When the Lord talks to you, you find it irresistible to NOT do what He’s called you to do. It’s always there, in the back of your mind. We don’t know when the Lord spoke to Abram, or that he immediately departed on his journey after the Lord called to him. He could have waited a while, until it became truly clear to him that He had to go.
But, what did he do? He got half way and stopped. Why did he stop? Because that’s where Terah had him stop. The place they stopped was Haran, the same name as his brother, but not named after him, and this was a border city to Canaan.
Have you ever been in a position where someone close to you gave you bad advice, you knew it was bad advice, but you took it anyway, probably just to appease that person? I’ve been there. I’ve been there a lot…not wanting to rock the boat, but I went along with it.
Besides, where did the Lord say he was sending Abram? He didn’t…We know, because Chapter 11 foreshadows that they were called to Canaan. So how was Abram to know where to stop? He didn’t know, we just know he disobeyed God’s command and brought other people with him.
Does the Lord work on us when we’re around other people? After the Lord appeared to Paul, he went to Damascus, met with Annanias and others who were a part of “The Way” which were early day Christians. Then he went to Arabia for 3 years. Why? The Lord needed to be alone with him. Moses spent how long on the mountain getting the commandments? 40 days. Joshua spent years in prison. I believe the Lord had plans to pour into Abram, but Abram circumvented those plans.
At the end of my message in Chapter 11, we talked about the name of Terah and Haran and what they mean. Does anyone remember what Terah means? The word Terah means delay. Haran means parched or barren. The lesson we can learn here, is that when we don’t do what God’s calling us to do, he’ll leave us in a place of delay, and it’s usually a barren place.
Do we see this lesson elsewhere in the Bible? How about the Hebrew people in the wilderness. How long was that delay? 40 years. Why? Disobedience…and they were a bunch of whiners. What about the captivity? That’s a wilderness moment, wasn’t it? How long? 70 years. Why? Disobedience and sin. If you disobey God, he’ll let you wander for a little while. He’s not far off, but what is He doing? He’s purging something from you.
Are there other wilderness moments in the Bible with different circumstances? How about King David when he ran from King Saul in 1 Samuel 23? How long was that delay? 15 years. Why? Because David was disobedient? NO, because he wasn’t ready to be King, and God wanted to use him to show us how a righteous man waits upon the Lord and doesn’t go on the offense even when he has every right according to our feeble minds, right?
What happened right after Jesus was baptized? Mark 1:12–13
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Immediately the Spirit DROVE Jesus. You don’t drive something that willingly follows. It doesn’t say the Spirit said “Come along Jesus.” Jesus was driven to the wilderness directly into Satan’s presence. Why? He had to be separated from everyone. Jesus had to pass the test Adam could not pass ON HIS OWN. Jesus PROVED HIMSELF THE MAN to the rest of the world, where? In the wilderness.
The most dangerous lesson you can learn is that of patience. Pride you can have beaten out of you. That’s a broken spirit. Patience is agonizing, but it’s important for all of us to learn. It takes forever, and especially in our culture where everyone says “I don’t care how, I want it now.”
It’s a fruit of the spirit though. The first 4 fruits of the spirit are what?
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Who are the first 4 fruits of the Spirit for? US. The rest are for others, aren’t they? I get it, what about self control? Who does that protect? Normally, those around you, right?
If you struggle with patience, know that the Lord will delay you, in a barren place, and until you’ve been stripped of the world, you cannot be used by the Lord. Andy challenged us last week. If we’re not ready, the next steps aren’t ours, and he’s patient, he’ll wait days, weeks, years, centuries…not wanting anyone to perish, but calling all of us to repentance.
Abram, faithful Abram, got his first instruction from the Lord and he obeyed half way. From UR of the Chaldeans to Haran, going to the north following the river 600 miles. Let’s go back to Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Do you see a phrase made over and over again? What is it? I WILL, I WILL, I WILL, I WILL, I WILL. 5 times, the Lord promises Abram, go to the land I WILL show you…This is the covenant the Lord made with Abram, we call it today the Abrahamic Covenant. It’s the 3rd covenant so far in the Bible. Adamic covenant, which we broke, then the Noahic covenant which is unconditional, and now this one, that is also unconditional.
What is the problem here though, Abram only went half way AND he took people with him that he shouldn’t have. He can’t bless you if you don’t get where He’s calling you, if you don’t do it His way. If you want the Lord’s full blessing, do what He’s calling you to do. Even then, in King David’s life, and Jesus’ life…thruout the Bible - Paul, Peter, John, anyone who the Lord used mightily, they ALL spent time in the wilderness, alone, just them and the Lord…sometimes just them and their thoughts!
That’s where the best fights happen, right? I win every argument with my wife in my head. EVERY ONE! I get some good material too. I’m like, man, next time, I’m going to throw this one out there, that’ll fix this! Then I see my precious wife, or my kids, and I am glad I didn’t say those words at all. I fold them up and keep my responses short, show my heart when I’m corrected and how a true man of God acts when he’s wrong.
Count it as joy. Yeah it’s hard…that’s the point. Let the Lord bless you.
He also says to Abram the Lord will make your name great.
When does our name become great? When do we hear about someone’s legacy? WHEN THEY’RE DEAD. Don’t be looking for the blessing in your life, or you get your reward. You’ll still hear about it if you’ve lead the life Jesus called you to in submission to His leadership as your Lord and Savior.
Now, finally, let’s move on!
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
Abram departed the barren place and went to Canaan, which is about another 700-800 mile trip.
Now, how long was the family in the Haran? Most scholars say 15 years, that’s a good time on a “starter house” right?
almost a modern-day mortgage, so we can understand that. They were there until Terah died. Then Abram felt moved to continue on.
So, Abram travels south entering the land of Canaan another 6-700 miles to Shechem. What happens here? Let’s read on:
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.
The Lord appears to Abram and he builds an altar to worship the Lord. He moves again, and builds another altar to worship the Lord and builds a house. NO, he pitched a tent. What do we use tents for today? Camping, temporary housing, right? So, he didn’t build a home, why? Did God promise the land to Abram? NO, only to his descendants.
Is there something about this place though? Put a finger here and turn to John 4. In the Greek, there is a city called Sychar in Samaria. In John 4 we read this:
5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Now, stay there, but back in Genesis 32, we read the story where Jacob wrestles with God, and God changes his name to Israel. Jacob just came from a place called Haran where he met Rachel, and that’s a whole big story we’ll go thru when we get there…but in Genesis 33, Jacob buys a parcel of land in Schechem in the land of Canaan and dwelt there. It was customary to dig a well when you purchased land so you could water your livestock there.
Read John 4:7-26
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
What did Jesus just do? He aligned himself with Abram, who’s son was Isaac, who’s son was Jacob, who’s name would be changed to Israel by God, who’s son was Joshua.
Jesus went back to the beginning, where He met Abraham and said, the one that promised Abraham a great nation? That would make Abraham a blessing? Jesus confirms that He is that man. He is that blessing. All over scripture, the Bible points to and confirms who Jesus is. It’s amazing to me that people will put tradition over God’s Word.
We do that too, though, don’t we. We make presuppositions of what Scripture means, and we can tend to bend God’s Word to match our interpretation. That’s dangerous. That’s why I’m glad you are all Bereans and study the Word and don’t take what I teach you at my word.
I heard a message this week from John McArthur. He was challenging pastors to be learners. He said one Sunday he preached on the topic of “Why the anti-christ will be a Jew.” After the message, one of the parishioners came to him and said they didn’t agree with this and reasoned with him. The next message was “Why the anti-christ will be a gentile.”
Then he said people came to him and accused him of changing his mind, and he told them: “No, I’m just learning. As new information comes up, you have to assess what you’ve learned and see if your views need to change.” He said he left those two messages in his que for a long time as he wrestled with which would be true.
One thing I must do as a pastor, or any leader, especially you dads, is be humble, admit when you’re wrong, and thank those around you that have the guts to confront you on it, because those people are your friends.
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”
So, did Abram stay where he was told to go? No, he went to Egypt, another 800 miles out of the way. Back home, in Ur of the Chaldeans, that area is a floodplain delta. It has seasonal floods and he and his family knew how to handle the land there. That’s why Abram followed the rivers to the north before going south to Canaan.
They headed to Egypt because there was a famine in the land. In Egypt he and found the Nile floodplain there to be just as they were back home, so they stayed there.
He left Canaan because he was afraid that the land God promised them would not provide for them. As they approached Egypt, Abram then hatched a plan. Why? He feared for his life. What did Hebrews 11 say about Abram? He was FAITHFUL. Does this sound like a faithful man?
Again, why? Because his wife was beautiful. I don’t think it was so much about losing his life, as it was losing his beautiful wife. Some people would say it’s romantic, but I’m a man…my life is black and white unless I want it to be some other shade of gray, so it’s disobedience and faithlessness…I kid. I have a heart, ask my mom.
How old was Sarai? 65 years old. Jewish tradition says there was no woman ever compared to Sarai. They say that 1/3 of all of the beauty of all women were given to Sarai, that’s how beautiful she was. Another 1/3 was given to my wife. Just saying…if any of you guys want to fight me for that comment, I’ll gladly consider it seriously…
What does Abram do here? He lies! Well, is it a lie? Sarai and Abram have the same father, but a different mother…so it’s a technicality, right? A half truth, though, is still a lie, right? Man, this one hit me. Because I know that I am very good skirting the truth with something that’s not a lie…but it’s not the truth.
Everything I say is under scrutiny. I know that, like Paul said to Timothy:
6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
The hardworking farmer that Paul is talking about is the pastor. He, and in the same respect, I must eat our message first to make sure it’s not going to poison the flock. If it comes out of my mouth, you can bet I’ve got 5 sets of eyes on me that will tell everyone in this congregation that I am a liar. They don’t hold back. They’ve got no filter. I can’t hide anywhere. I’m OK with that! I want a pastor that is real, but more than that, one that is the same man of integrity in progress as he is in the pulpit. I want to be that pastor. One that people say, yes, he hurts, but he’s not going to preach about something he’s not willing to do himself, or tell you something, then have you do something else. Those men are hippo-critters and I don’t think Jesus takes those kinds of people lightly if I remember His ministry correctly.
Anyways, back to the text:
14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
Here again, we see how beautiful Sarai was. Only the most beautiful in the land would be taken to Pharaoh. That’s why Hadassa, who would become Queen Esther was taken to Xerxes. And because Abram was called her brother, he was taken care of. That was the custom, so again, Abram working the system…If they don’t kill me, I know I’ll get choice treatment. Lies don’t prosper long…eventually the truth comes out, right?
Imagine the fear in Sarai’s mind…she’s been taken to PHARAOH. The man who can command her life in an instant. Having to be forced into a marriage or worse knowing you’re covering up for your husband’s cowardess…especially now, as he’s being rewarded with all of this stuff. I just can’t imagine how hard that would be on a relationship.
I had to stop thinking about it because it made my head hurt. I spend a lot of time in my wife’s head…most of it wondering how I’m going to get out of the mess I got myself into without her knowing it…
Anyway, so what happens as Abram is living high on the hog?
17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
I mentioned at the beginning of this message, that I struggle when I see people seem to get away with their sin. I’ve always struggled with passages like this.
So, Abram lies, turns his wife over to Pharaoh’s harem, and he is treated well by Pharoah. In the mean time, the Lord says “Hey, I made a promise.” Does God keep His promises? Yes he does. He says “I made a promise, and I’m going to keep it. I will protect Sarai and Abram, even thru their disobedience, because I have a plan for them.”
So He plagues Pharaoh, to the point that pagans knew some kind of God is mad at them, which brings me to the question:
Can the Lord use people, if they’re in sin? Yes, God’s will, will always be completed. Will He bless that person? Not while they’re in sin. What we got here in this chapter was Abram’s testimony in the first 9 verses, spanning about 20 years. The last 11 verses, Abram is being tested by the Lord.
What do we learn about Abram, this “faithful” man according to Hebrews 11? We learn the first command He gives Abram, he disobeys. What was it?
1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Who does he bring? His father…AND the rest of the family, right? I think that shows the compassion Abram has for people, especially families. We’ll see more of that later.
What was the rest of the command? “To a land that I will show you.” Does Abram know where he’s being led? Nope, he’s supposed to just start walking, and when the Lord tells him to stop, he’s supposed to do what? STOP.
Does he stop? He finally gets to his destination in Schechem and the Lord meets him and lets him and says what?
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
He says “There’s your land” and what does Abram do? He moves again! Why would he do this? Because “Mr Faithful” got scared, so he looked for a place where living would be easier, so he thought.
Now, comes the trial. You’re a stranger, in a strange land, and you’re wife is prettier than mine is, and you know that the rulers of this land could come take her from you, and make you like you never were, or worse! What do you do to save your own skin? You offer up your wife disguised as your sister and get treated as a friend now of Pharoah.
When you lie, how long does that success last? Not very long, right? We think we got away with it. How do you think they got caught? I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking.
Now he’s a marked man. Pharaoh doesn’t even want the stuff he gave him, just to get out of the land. So, Abram has to trek back with all of the stuff he has now, AND the people. Were these people, and this stuff a blessing to him? OR a lesson?
What does this first picture we have of Abram tell us? Did Abram start off well? Nope. We’ll see, also, that this faithful man failed his first 2 tests MISERABLY. YET, Abram is not only known as a faithful man, BUT He’s known as a friend of God too.
What does that mean? There is hope for each one of you! I mean, all of us. These faithful men and women of the Bible are raw, they’re real, and they make mistakes just like we do. That’s what is so special about the Bible from any other religious text, it tells the stories warts and all.
Some of us are still in the wilderness, living in fear of what could happen next…what if? What if I see them? What if they forgot about me? What do I do now that my job is coming to a close? How about this one: What if my family finds out what I’ve been doing?
The Lord brings us to hard stops sometimes. He gently calls us to change, then louder he calls to us, then that “one more chance” moment comes. Our lives are filled with choices, and we can’t ride the fence forever. Jesus says in Matthew 12:30 if you’re not with Him, you’re against him. That means, the devil owns the fence too.
What will it take to get your attention? You can come to Him quietly and repent, and repent means change. OR you can have your eyes open to the hurt your sin is causing the people around you. That’s what you’re doing. When the devil opens your eyes to what you’ve accomplished, for some people, it’s too much to bear.
It brings disrespect to their families, they have to face their spouse and admit what they’ve been doing. The devil grabs you by your eyelids and proudly proclaims ‘BEHOLD WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.” He’ll remind you, it wasn’t him that did it…it was you. You made the choices. You said the hurtful words. You clicked the mouse. You grabbed the bottle. You took the wheel. You pulled the trigger, NOT ME!
He will give you scripture like this to remind you: Look at Abram…he disobeyed God and the Lord still kept his promise to him. It’s not that bad, you can change later. He will still accept you.
The wages of our sin is DEATH. Our wage, what we earn thru our disobedience, our greed, our lust, our idolatry, is death. They’re our choices. Paul says 1 Cor 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
The Lord has so much faith in you! You can do this! You can overcome it…but YOU HAVE TO DO IT. He can’t, I can’t, your wife can’t help you, and you can’t do it for her. You can’t do it for your kids. You’ll fail. Because you’re hinging it on something that can let you down.
If you take your sin, your secret sin, and remember that there were nails that held a man named Jesus on a wooden cross and nail it to that cross. It’s not sacrilegious to do it, because it was my sin that drove those nails into Jesus too. Drive that nail right thru the center of it and get on your knees at the feet of the cross you’ll realize, HE WON’T FAIL YOU. You will fail Him, and continue to. We all will, but He will never fail you.
Jesus says “I’m putting this sin of yours to death with me ON THIS CROSS, so that you can rise with me.” That’s why Jesus death was so powerful. It shook the WORLD. It tore the vale that kept the people from seeing the Holy of Holy’s in the temple. As a symbol that we could now communicate DIRECTLY WITH HIM. Jesus doesn’t want you to die in your inequity. He doesn’t want you to feel so helpless, even if he makes an example of you, THE LORD ISN’T DONE WITH YOU YET if you submit to Him.
Is it time to take that nail? Is it time to make that change? You don’t need 12 steps. You don’t need a support group. You need a savior. You need a church body that will come alongside you and show you how to use those eyes for the first time. How to tame your tongue. How to act when you’re corrected in love, knowing the person who’s challenging you loves you and wants what’s best for you.
Joshua, in Joshua 24 gathers the people in Schechem, where the Lord met with Abram, and he makes a declaration that the Lord gives him, recounting this story up to his time in history. We always hear the end of this verse as an echoing cry, but we lose the beginning. This isn’t merely a point to stand on, it’s a line in the sand
Joshua 24:15 “15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””
Leave your gods and take a stand, today. If you’re a Christian and you’re being moved today, renew your vow to the Lord. Help someone close to you see that YOU DROVE THE NAILS that hung Jesus on the Cross and what He did for you, He will do for them, if they simply confess with their mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, and they will be saved.